The present invention relates to a determination method for machining process in numerical control information generating function when a material is to be machine-processed by a numerical control machine tool.
There has popularly been used what is generally known as a numerical control (NC) machine tool system which can automatically control machine tools using numerical information of numerals and codes to achieve automation of the machining process, realization of highly precise and complicated machining, and reduction of the machining cost and time.
The numerical control machine tool systems require that the numerical control data be inputted prior to the machining process. Recent numerical control machine tool systems functionally equipped to prepare numerical control information so as to input data in an interactive man-machine mode for facilitating the process. With this function capability, the numerical control information necessary to machine a given shaped work material to a given shaped product may easily be prepared by inputting the types and shapes of the materials and the machining process.
FIGS. 1A to 1G are explanatory views for respectively describing the determination method for the machining process in the prior art numerical control information generating function, while FIG. 2 is a view for showing an example of the shapes of a work material and of a product part.
Referring to FIGS. 1A to 1G and FIG. 2, the prior art method will be explained. As shown in FIG. 1A, a display appears on a screen to establish the type of a machining process. More particularly, a response is solicited on the display to input the types of machining necessary, such as rough machining, finishing machining, groove, screw or the like. In response, an operator designates the type of the machining process according to a number. When the machining the process type has been inputted, as shown in FIG. 1B, the display screen is switched to a display for indicating the machining location and the cutting direction. More particularly, a response is solicited on the display as to the location of the machining part or the cutting direction. In response the operator disignates the location of the machining part and cutting direction in the process. For instance, the operator inputs a numeral "1" when the direction "outward.rarw." is to be designated. When the inputs for the machining location and the cutting direction have been completed, as shown in FIG. 1C, a question is presented on the display as to the type of cutting tools to be used, and the operator designates the number of the appropriate tool data. Then, as shown in FIG. 1D, the display of the display screen is switched for determining the shape of the tool or the like. The operator inputs the appropriate numeral to designate the shapes and the rotating position of the tool and so on. When the inputs for determining the cutting tool have been completed, as shown in FIG. 1E, the display of the display screen is switched to establish the cutting conditions. Responding to the displayed questions, the operator inputs the cutting speed, feed speed, depth of the cut or the like in terms of numerals.
When the inputs for determining cutting conditions have been completed, as shown in FIG. 1F, the display is switched to define the machining shape. Responding to the display, the operator inputs a cycle reference point. Then, the screen display is switched to that shown in FIG. 1G where the operator inputs a figure element , a surface roughness, and the coordinates of the finishing point, etc. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, when figure element lines l.sub.7, l.sub.8, l.sub.9 and l.sub.10 are to be inputted, a starting point of the figure element line or the starting point P.sub.6 of the figure element l.sub.7 is first inputted in terms of the coordinates as the starting point of the shape, followed by the inputs of the figure element , the surface roughness and the coordinates of the finishing point and so on. When inputs are completed for the element l.sub.7, similar inputs are provided for other figure element l.sub.8, l.sub.9 and l.sub.10 in order to secure the shape. When a material shape, which has already been inputted, is to be machined into a shape of a product part, the above mentioned inputs for the process are repeated until the desired shape of the product part is obtained. The above method is for determining the machining process in the conventional numerical control information generation function.
In the aforementioned prior art numerical control information generating function, a machining process cannot be determined unless a series of designation process is repeated for each of the processes, such as rough machining, finishing, groove, screw, etc., so as to obtain a product part shape from the inputted material shapes. Therefore, the prior art method of inputting the data for generation of the numerical control information not only requires enormous time and labor, but is also too difficult for users having little knowledge of the machining process to fully utilized because the input method is overly complicated.